Modular conveyor belt with unique link capture means

ABSTRACT

A flexible conveyor belt ( 10 ) has a plurality of transverse rods ( 11 ) on which a plurality of links are mounted for rotational and longitudinal movement on the rods. The links include edge links ( 12   a,    12   b ) at opposite edges of the belt and link modules ( 13   a,    13   b  and  15 ) positioned between the edge links. The rods have radially enlarged heads or buttons ( 16 ) on their ends, and the edge links have a cavity ( 29 ) for receiving the head, and an undercut shoulder ( 36 ) against which the head abuts to retain the edge link at the end of the rod. The link modules have a leading end ( 41 ) and a trailing end ( 42 ), and the trailing end of at least one module ( 15 ) has slotted openings ( 47, 44 ) to enable the trailing end to be detachably connected to an associated rod. Disengagement of the detachable end of the link module from a rod provides more space on the rod so that the edge link can be slid on the rod to extend the end of the rod outwardly of the edge link to enable a head to be formed on the end of the rod without damaging the adjacent link.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to conveyor belts, and more particularly to amodular spiral style conveyor belt having a plurality of molded plasticlinks movably mounted on transverse rods.

BACKGROUND ART

Numerous types of conveyors are used in a variety of industries formaterial handling. Prior art conveyors include conveyor belts made ofmetal, plastic or other materials. These belts generally are flexible toenable them to negotiate curves or turns, and conventional systemsemploy a variety of constructions to achieve the desired flexibility.

Spiral style conveyor belts, for example, have a plurality of linksmovably mounted on transverse rods. This permits the belt to articulateas it negotiates a turn. When a conveyor belt negotiates a turn, theouter edge of the belt is subjected to tension. These tension loads havea resultant force that is directed toward the center of the turn radius.This resultant force is resisted by the belt and/or the rods on whichthe belt links are mounted, before being transposed to the structuresupporting the belt in the turn. The tighter the turn, the higher theresultant force.

On many conveyor belts the links on the outer edge are made stronger toaccommodate the tension loads in a turn, but unless the outer link iscaptured by some means it will migrate inward along the rod whensubjected to the resultant force, and can cause bending of the rods whenthe resultant force is strong enough. Bending of the rods will cause thebelt to bow and the edge of the belt to flip up. Moreover, permittingthe outer link to migrate inward along the rod causes a number of otherproblems, including crushing of the inner modules or causing the innermodules to fail over time due to fatigue.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,949,838, 5,662,211, 6,213,292, 6,216,854, 6,237,750 and6,345,715 are exemplary of some prior art arrangements in which theouter link is retained at the end of the rod to prevent the rod frommoving outwardly through the link. However, these prior art arrangementsrely upon a snap fit engagement, or a separate stop plate, or the linkmay be welded in place in the case of some metal belts, to retain theoutermost link in position at the outer end of the rod. Thesearrangements may not be secure enough to resist the forces involved,whereby the link can become displaced from the end of the rod, and/orthe use of separate parts is required, which increases the complexityand cost of assembling the belt.

Further, in those belts having links or modules movably mounted onspaced transverse rods, the rods typically have heads, or the rod may begrooved to accept a means of retention such as a clip or pin, or buttonsformed on their ends to prevent the links from sliding off the rods. Toenable assembly of the belts, the head or button generally is formed onone end of the rod, and the links are then slid onto the rod from theopposite end, after which a head or button is formed on that end. Thiscan pose a problem in those belts wherein the links are made of plastic,since heat generally is applied to the end of the rod during forming ofthe head or button, and the heat can damage the adjacent link.Conventional belts having separate links or link modules movably mountedto transverse rods typically have both ends of the links fully captured,i.e., non-removably attached to adjacent rods, and do not have any meansto enable the endmost link to be moved out of the way when heat isapplied to the end of the rod during formation of the head or button.

In other conventional conveyor belt systems, the links are integrallyformed with the rods, or if made of metal, welded to the rods. Thisarrangement clearly would prevent the links from migrating inwardlyalong the rods, and would obviate the necessity of forming heads orbuttons on the ends of the rods, but it is very difficult, if notimpossible, to alter the configuration of the belt, i.e., add or removelinks, or adjust the width of the belt, etc.

In still other prior art constructions both ends of the links areremovably attached to respective adjacent rods. While alteration of thebelt geometry is easier to accomplish with this construction, there is atendency for the links to become dislodged from the rods as the beltmoves around a pulley or sprocket, or when engaged by a scraper.

Further, some prior art constructions attach the link to the end of therod by welding, or a section or all of the plastic is completely removedto prevent heat damage to the plastic part. This allows the plastic partto become dislodged from the rods as the belt moves around a pulley orsprocket, or when engaged by a scraper.

Accordingly, there is need for a spiral style conveyor belt havingseparate links and link modules movably mounted on spaced transverserods, wherein the outermost edge links are securely captured on the endsof the rods to prevent migration of the links inward along the rods whenthe belt negotiates a turn.

Further, there is need for a conveyor belt having separate links andlink modules movably mounted on spaced transverse rods, wherein one endof at least some of the links is removably attached to the rod to enablethe combined width of the links to be reduced to expose an end of therod so that a head or button can be formed on the rod end withoutdamaging the adjacent link.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The flexible conveyor belt of the invention comprises a plurality oflinks rotatably and slidably mounted on a plurality of spaced elongaterods extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the belt,defining a support surface for supporting articles to be conveyed. Asused herein, the term “links” includes both individual links and linkmodules. Link modules comprise multiple sections integrally joinedtogether, with each section being generally equivalent to a single“link”.

By capturing the outermost edge link on the rod so that it cannot moveinwardly along the rod, the invention solves the problem of migration ofthe outermost links inwardly along the rods as the belt negotiates aturn. More particularly, the edge link is constructed so that the buttonor head on the end of the rod is securely retained in the link. This isaccomplished by providing a shaped cavity in the edge link to capturethe radially enlarged head on the rod, preventing the link from movinginwardly on the rod. A slot is formed through the outer wall of thelink, which also forms the outer boundary of the shaped cavity, throughwhich the enlarged head of the rod can be snapped to position the headin the shaped cavity. The slot is narrower at one end, and an undercutshoulder is defined at that end. The underside of the outer wall of thelink, through which the slot is formed, is tapered so that the head ofthe rod is urged toward said one end and beneath the undercut shoulder.In a preferred embodiment, a stop tab or lug is provided in the slotopposite the location of the shoulder to prevent the enlarged head ofthe rod from moving along the cavity and away from the shoulder. Thislug is shaped so that during assembly the enlarged head of the rod canbe moved past the lug and through the slot into the cavity.

Formation of the head or button on the end of the rods without causingdamage to the adjacent link is accomplished in the invention by makingone end of at least some of the links releasable from the transverse rodand pivoted about their other end, which is permanently attached to anadjacent rod. The links are narrower at one end than the other, and bypivoting at least one of the links upwardly about the rod, the linksremaining attached to the rod may be slid along the rod to space theoutermost edge links from a rod end, whereby a head or button may beformed on the rod end (which typically requires the application of heat)without causing damage to the adjacent link. Moreover, since one end ofthe link or link module is permanently captured on a rod, the linkcannot become inadvertently detached from the belt, as sometimes happenswith conventional links that have both ends releasably attached to therods. Thus, the links in the belt of the invention will not becomedislodged from the belt as the belt moves around a sprocket, forexample, or when the belt is engaged by a scraper.

The end of the link that is snapped onto the rod is the trailing end.Accordingly, in the event that the snap-on end has become loose orpartially loosened from its associated rod, when the belt passes by ascraper, the scraper engages the link and pushes it down to securelyengage the snap-on end with the rod. In conventional belts having bothends of the link snap-engaged with the rods, the scraper can completelydislodge the link when it passes the scraper.

The outermost link, or edge link, can have a hold-down tab formed on itsunderside at the outer edge. The hold-down tab engages a track or railon the belt support structure to hold the outer edge of the belt down asthe belt negotiates a turn. Hold-down tabs can be provided on theoutermost link at both edges of the belt, or on only one edge, dependingupon whether the belt is intended to negotiate both left and right handturns, or turns only in one direction.

In the particular embodiment shown and described herein, except for theoutermost links on each rod, the remaining links are integrally joinedor grouped together in modules. By combining modules of appropriatelengths, belts of various widths can be constructed. Most belts have awidth of twenty inches or more, and in one embodiment of the invention,for example, modules having lengths of four, six and/or ten inches canbe combined to produce belts of different width, varying in two inchincrements. Of course, modules of different length can be used toproduce belts having different widths.

The links in the belt of the invention preferably are made of plastic,and the rods of metal. The belt is thus especially suited for use withfood products, particularly frozen or very cold products, and hassuperior strength to all-plastic belts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference characters designate like parts throughout the several views,and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a fragment of a belt according tothe invention, showing how it would appear when negotiating a right handturn, for example,

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a fragment of a belt according tothe invention, having link modules with one end disengaged from theassociated rod and pivoted upwardly, and showing the remaining links,including fully captured link modules on each side of the snap-onmodules, and edge links incorporating the rod capture feature of theinvention, moved longitudinally on the rods so that one end of the rodsprojects beyond the edge links to enable a head or button to be formedon the extended rod ends;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing a detachablelink module pivoted up around the permanently attached end, to enable itto be slid lengthwise along the rod;

FIG. 4 is a perspective end view of a portion of an assembled beltaccording to the invention, showing the headed rod ends captured in theend links;

FIG. 5 is a perspective end view of one of the edge links and a portionof an associated rod, showing in more detail the rod capture feature ofthe edge link;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the edge link and associated rod of FIG. 5,showing how the stop tab engages the headed end of the rod to prevent itfrom moving from beneath the undercut shoulder;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken through the link of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an end view in elevation of the link of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a portion of the belt ofFIG. 4, showing the links moved longitudinally on the rods so that therods project at one end beyond the edge links on that side of the belt,and showing some of the rods with heads formed thereon and other rodswithout the heads yet being formed;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of thelink of FIG. 5, showing the headed end of the rod extending from thelink before it is snapped into the slot;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, showing the headed end of the rodpartially engaged in the slot but before it is fully snapped into place;

FIG. 12 is a perspective end view of the link of FIG. 6, showing theheaded end of the rod fully snapped into place and captured in thecavity in the link;

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of an edge link and a detachable linkmodule assembled on a rod;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an edge link and module constructedfor non-releasable attachment at both ends to a rod, shown attached atone end to a rod;

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of an edge link having a hold-down tabon its outer edge;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but showing an alternateembodiment wherein the stop tab is omitted;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the link of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the link ofFIG. 16, showing how the headed end of the rod engages against thetapered surface and is urged thereby toward the undercut shoulder; and

FIG. 19 is a slightly enlarged, fragmentary top perspective view of aportion of a belt according to the invention, showing some of thesnap-on link modules fully engaged on their associated rods, others in aposition about to be engaged, and still others in a fully uprightposition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A portion of a belt in accordance with the invention is indicatedgenerally at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The belt comprises a plurality oftransverse, spaced apart metal rods 11 on which, in the particularexample illustrated, are movably mounted edge links 12 a and 12 b atopposite ends of the rods, link modules 13 a and 13 b that arenon-releasably attached at both ends to respective adjacent rods, andlink modules 15 that are non-releasably attached at one end to a rod andreleasably attached at their other end to an adjacent rod. The linkmodules are placed on the rods so that the releasable end of modules 15is the trailing end. As described in more detail hereinafter, and asseen best in FIGS. 1, 3, 13, 14 and 19, the openings in the links andlink modules through which the rods pass are elongate so that when thebelt negotiates a turn, as depicted in FIG. 1, the belt can compress atits inner edge and expand at its outer edge to accommodate the radius ofthe turn.

To insure that the links do not migrate inwardly along the rods towardthe center of radius of a turn as the belt negotiates the turn, theoutermost edge links 12 a and 12 b are securely connected to the ends ofthe rods. In this regard, the outer ends of the rods have a button orhead 16 formed on them that retain the links on the rods, and the edgelinks 12 a and 12 b are constructed to securely engage this head toprevent the edge links from moving away from the end of the rod.

The edge links 12 a and 12 b are identically constructed and aregenerally A-shaped, with a top surface 17, a bottom surface 18, arelatively narrow forward or leading end 19, and a pair of divergentlegs 20 and 21 extending therefrom to enlarged feet or base portions 22and 23. A connecting web 24 extends between the legs spaced from theleading end 19. Elongate openings 25 extend through the legs between theleading end 19 and web 24 for receiving a rod 11. Slightly elongatedopenings 26 and 27 are also formed through the feet 22 and 23 forreceiving an adjacent rod.

The foot or base portion 23 has a shaped opening 29 extending through itfrom the top surface 17 through the bottom surface 18, and a slot 30formed through the outer wall 31, leading from the trailing edge ofopening 27 and through the leading edge 32 of the foot 23. The shapedopening 29 has a tapered or sloping surface 33 extending rearwardly froma narrowed forward end 34 of the slot to a point approximately midwaythe length of the slot.

As seen best in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the slot 30 is narrowed at 35toward the trailing edge of the link, and the shaped opening 29 extendsinto the foot 23 past the margin of opening 27, defining an undercutshoulder 36 in the outer wall. A stop lug or tab 37 is formed in theslot 30, projecting slightly more than half way through the slot andlocated approximately midway the length of the tapered surface 33. SeeFIGS. 7, 10 and 11. The outer edge of the lug facing the narrowed end ofthe slot is tapered at 38 for a purpose described below.

The link modules 13 a and 13 b are identically constructed, and onlymodule 13 a will be described in detail, with reference to FIG. 14. Inthe particular example shown, link module 13 a is the equivalent of fiveindividual links integrally joined together in edge to edge relationshipand has a length of about ten inches, although it should be understoodthat the module can have other lengths, e.g., four, six or ten inches.Since most belts have a width of twenty inches or more, by properlycombining the modules these dimensions enable belts of different widthsto be built in two-inch increments.

Modules 13 a and 13 b each comprise a series of oppositely oriented,generally A-shaped segments 39, with adjacent segments sharing a commonleg 40. The module has a forward or leading end 41 and a trailing end42, and the apex of the segments on the leading end is narrower than theapex of the segments on the trailing end. Elongate closed openings 43and 44 are formed through the legs near the leading and trailing edges,respectively, and a first web or band 45 extends between the legsapproximately midway between the leading and trailing ends of themodule, with the webs in adjacent segments slightly offset from oneanother. A second web or band 46 extends between the legs of eachsegment approximately midway between the first web and the adjacent endof the segment. The web 46 joins the legs on only one side of theopenings 44, at what comprises the top surface of the module in anassembled belt. When rods 11 are passed through the openings 43 and 44,both ends of the modules 13 a and 13 b are captured on the rods and arenon-removable therefrom unless slid off the end of the rod.

Module 15 is similarly constructed, except that a slot 47 is formedthrough the legs at one side of the opening 44 adjacent the trailing endof the module to enable that end of the module to be snapped onto andoff of an associated rod 11. In this regard, the width of the slot 47 isslightly narrower than the diameter of the rod, so that some force isrequired in order to apply or remove that end of the module from therod. It will be noted that the slot 47 is on the underside of the modulein an assembled belt. Accordingly, objects on the belt, or a scrapercontacting the belt, tend to force the removable end of the module backinto snapped engagement with the rod in the event that end should becomeloosened from the rod, which might occur, for example, when the beltmoves around a roller that is contaminated with ice or product build-up.

To assemble the particular belt 10 shown in the drawings, the unheadedend of a rod 11 with a head 16 on the other end is passed through theopenings 26 and 27 of an edge link 12 a and the link is slid along therod until it comes against the head 16. The diameter of the head isabout the same as or slightly larger than the width of the slot 30, andthe distance between the narrowed end of the slot and the stop lug isslightly less than the diameter of the head, whereby when the head isinserted into the slot, it is engaged between the tapered surface 38 andthe narrowed portion of the slot. By exerting force on the link, it canbe pressed through the slot and past the tapered surface to beneath theundercut shoulder 36, whereupon the stop lug prevents the head frommoving from beneath the shoulder and the link is thus securely held tothe headed end of the rod and cannot move inwardly on the rod away fromthe headed end. A module 13 a is then slid onto the rod by passing therod through the openings 43 and sliding the module along the rod untilit abuts against the link 12 a. Next, the rod is inserted through theopenings 43 in a detachable module 15 and the module is slid along therod until it abuts the module 13 a. This is followed by a module 13 b,which is followed by a link 12 b. In connection with the foregoing, itshould be understood that it is possible to build this belt with onlythe two outer links and one detachable module. The narrowest beltcurrently produced is twenty inches wide, but the belt can have otherwidths and other combinations of links and/or modules. See page 11,lines 11-21, below.

A second rod is then passed through the openings 25 in links 12 a and 12b, through the openings 44 in the other ends of the modules 13 a and 13b, and optionally through the openings 44 in the other end of the module15. The process is continued until as many rods and associated links andmodules are assembled as desired.

Either by not passing the rod through the openings 44 in the end 42 ofmodules 15, or by unsnapping the end 42 from the associated rod afterthe module has been slid onto the rod, the modules 15 can be pivotedupwardly as shown in FIG. 2, whereby the modules 13 a and links 12 a canbe slid further along the rod, exposing the unheaded ends of the rodsand spacing the links 12 a from the unheaded ends. Heads or buttons 16can then be formed on the exposed ends of the rods without causingdamage to the adjacent links.

Links 12 a can then be slid outwardly on the rods and secured to theadjacent ends of the associated rods by pressing the heads 16 throughthe slots 30, past the tapered surface 38, and beneath the undercutshoulder 36, whereby both edge links 12 a and 12 b are securely retainedat the outer ends of the rods 11, preventing migration of the links andmodules inwardly along the rods when the belt negotiates a turn. Themodule 15 is then properly positioned and the previously detached endsnapped down onto the associated rod to complete the assembly.

Although a particular sequence of operation and arrangement of moduleshas been described, it should be understood that a different numberand/or arrangement of modules could be used, as desired, in order toachieve particular belt geometries. The invention is not limited to thisparticular sequence and arrangement, but is more concerned with thestructure and function of the rod capture feature on the outermost edgelinks 12 a and 12 b, which prevents migration of the links and modulesinwardly along the rods when the belt negotiates a turn, and thepivotable modules 15 with a captured leading edge and releasabletrailing edge to enable the links and modules to be moved inwardly onthe rods to expose an end of the rods for formation of a head thereon,while at the same time insuring that the modules remain securelyattached to the belt under conditions likely to be encountered duringoperation of the belt.

A modified edge link 12′ is shown in FIG. 15. This link is identical tothe links 12 a and 12 b previously described, except that it has ahold-down tab 50 formed on the underside of the outer edge of the link.This tab rides beneath a rail (not shown) mounted to the belt supportstructure beneath the edge of the belt and prevents the edge of the beltfrom lifting up as it negotiates a turn. A hold-down tab can be providedon either or both links 12 a and 12 b at opposite edges of the belt,depending on whether the belt is intended to negotiate only right- orleft-hand turns, or both.

A further modified link 12″ is shown in FIGS. 16, 17 and 18. This linkis identical to the links 12 a and 12 b previously described, exceptthat the stop lug 37 and its attendant function are omitted. In thisform of the invention, the sloping surface 33 is relied upon to keep thehead 16 of rod 11 urged toward the narrowed end 34 and undercut shoulder36. In this regard, when a force is applied against the link tending tomove it inwardly on the rod, the head engages the sloping surface,producing a resultant force in the direction of the undercut shoulder,and the head slides along the sloping surface in that direction.

Although particular embodiments of the invention are illustrated anddescribed in detail herein, it is to be understood that various changesand modifications may be made to the invention without departing fromthe spirit and intent of the invention as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

1. A conveyor belt having a length direction and a width direction,comprising: a plurality of links rotatably and slidably mounted on aplurality of spaced elongate rods extending transversely to the lengthdirection to define a movable flexible belt having a support surface forsupporting and conveying articles; said links including edge links atopposite side edges of the belt, said edge links having aligned openingstherethrough for receiving a rod; said rods having radially enlargedends defining a head on each end of the rod; and said edge links rodcapture means for engaging the head on the end of the rod to retain theedge link at the end of the rod, said rod capture means comprising ashaped cavity in the link, and a shaped slot extending through a sideedge of the link and communicating with the cavity, said shaped slotdefining an undercut shoulder under which the head on the rod iscaptured when the head is inserted through said slot and into saidcavity, thereby preventing the link from moving longitudinally on therod.
 2. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said slot has awidth slightly smaller than the diameter of the head but through whichthe head can be snap-fitted.
 3. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 2,wherein: the slot is narrower at one end than the other, said narrowerend defining said undercut shoulder.
 4. A conveyor belt as claimed inclaim 1, wherein: said edge links have a leading end and a trailing end,and openings through each end for receiving a respective rod of a pairof spaced adjacent rods.
 5. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 4,wherein: said rod capture means is formed in the trailing end of theedge link.
 6. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said linksinclude at least one link module positioned on the rods between the edgelinks, said link module having a leading end and a trailing end, one ofsaid ends being detachably connected to one rod and the other end beingnon-detachably connected to an adjacent rod, whereby said link modulemay be detached at its detachable end from said one rod and pivotedupwardly about the adjacent rod to provide space on said one rod forsliding an edge link inwardly on said one rod to space the end of thatrod from the adjacent edge link, whereby a head can be formed on thespaced end of the rod without causing damage to the adjacent edge link.7. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the end of the linkmodule that is detachably connected to a rod is the trailing end.
 8. Aconveyor belt as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the link module comprisesa plurality of generally A-shaped segments integrally joined together inside-by-side relationship and each having a pair of divergent legsextending from a narrow end, with adjacent segments oppositely orientedin respective forward and rearward directions relative to the lengthdirection of the belt and sharing a common leg, whereby one A-shapedsegment extends forwardly at its narrow end and an adjacent segmentextends rearwardly at its narrow end.
 9. A conveyor belt as claimed inclaim 8, wherein: a connecting web extends between the divergent legs ofeach segment approximately midway between the leading and trailing endsof the link module, the webs in adjacent segments being slightly offsetfrom one another in the length direction of the belt.
 10. A conveyorbelt as claimed in claim 9, wherein: aligned openings are formed throughthe legs near the narrow end of each segment for receiving the rods,whereby a rod is received in an opening at each end of the link module.11. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 10, wherein: the openings areelongate in a direction parallel to the length direction of the belt,whereby the rods received in the openings can move toward and away fromone another, and the links can move toward and away from one another ina direction parallel to the length direction of the belt to enable thebelt to negotiate turns.
 12. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 11,wherein: a slot is formed in each leg in the trailing end of the linkmodule, said slots opening into the elongate openings in those legs,whereby the trailing end of the link module can be snap-fitted onto anassociated rod and removed therefrom.
 13. A conveyor belt having alength direction and a width direction, comprising: a plurality of linksrotatably and slidably mounted on a plurality of spaced elongate rodsextending transversely to the length direction to define a movableflexible belt having a support surface for supporting and conveyingarticles; said links including at least one link module having a leadingend and a trailing end, and aligned openings extending through saidleading and trailing ends for receiving respective adjacent rods; andsaid trailing end of the link module being detachably connected to anassociated rod and said leading end being non-detachably connected to anassociated rod, whereby the link module may detached from the rod at itstrailing end and pivoted about the rod at its leading end to an uprightposition.
 14. A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 13, wherein: the linkmodule comprises a plurality of generally A-shaped segments integrallyjoined together in side-by-side relationship and each having a pair ofdivergent legs extending from a narrow end, with adjacent segmentsoppositely oriented in respective forward and rearward directionsrelative to the length direction of the belt and sharing a common leg,whereby one A-shaped segment extends forwardly at its narrow end and anadjacent segment extends rearwardly at its narrow end.
 15. A conveyorbelt as claimed in claim 14, wherein: the aligned openings in theleading and trailing ends of the link module are elongate in a directionparallel to the length direction of the belt, whereby the rods receivedin the openings can move toward and away from one another, and the linkscan move toward and away from one another in a direction parallel to thelength direction of the belt to enable the belt to negotiate turns. 16.A conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a slot is formed ineach leg in the trailing end of the link module, said slots opening intothe elongate openings in those legs, whereby the trailing end of thelink module can be snap-fitted onto an associated rod and removedtherefrom.